Amy and Takbir Real St Paul’s Cathedral Wedding

When was your wedding?

25 July 2009

How and when did you meet?

We met when we were 18 years old as young playwrights at Birmingham Repetory Theatre over 9 years ago.

How old are you both?

27 and 28

Where, when and how did he (or you!) propose?

Takie proposed on a little boat in the middle of the Serpentine in Hyde Park. I looked away and when I looked back he was down on one knee with a Tiffany box in his hand ‐ what more could a girl ask for!

Did you have hen and stag celebrations? If so, what did you do?

Takie went out with the lads, and I went for tapas and onto Floradita for cocktails and dancing with my fellow hens. Half way through the night we were gate crashed by the lads ‐ they just couldn’t stay away. Luckily I spent the following day in The Sanctuary recovering and relaxing to the max.

How did your groom help with the wedding planning?

He was great at working through the detail. We both did tasks that suited our strengths and Takie took care of things like the music and the weather…he made a deal with God apparently!

Did you use confetti to plan your wedding? If so, how did the website help you?

I used the planning tools for keep up to date with things to do.

Did you buy any confetti products for your wedding? If so, did you visit a store, buy online or by mail order?

I bought a handbook for my chief bridesmaid from the confetti store in Tottenham Court Road.

Tell us about your outfit, and where you bought it

My dress was beautiful. It was from Suzanne Neville in Knightsbridge. It was ivory silk taffeta with lace and beading and a full cathedral length veil.

Did you have bridesmaids? If so, who did you choose and what did they wear?

I had 3 bridesmaids ‐ my closet friend and my two cousins. They looked stunning in sage green satin dresses from Coast.

Who did your groom choose for his best man and ushers, and what did they wear?

Takie chose his best mates from university to stand up with him on the day. They wore grey morning suits, Takie had green accessories whilst the rest of the boys complemented him in pink.

Did you have a civil or religious ceremony?

We had a religious ceremony, though Takie is a muslim, we decided to get married in the Church of England.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

St Paul’s Cathedral.

Where did you hold your reception?

The Dorchester, Park Lane.

Did you have any special wedding transport?

We had a routemaster bus on the way back from St Paul’s for us and all the guests. But we both arrived at the Cathedral in a Rolls Royce Phantom.

How many guests did you invite to your wedding, and did you have a separate evening guest list?

We has 75 guests and they were there for the whole day from beginning to end.

Did your reception have a particular theme in terms of colour or style?

We had a monopoly theme for the table decoration, and the whole wedding used a colour palette of green, pink and white.

How did you incorporate this in to your table settings?

Yes each table name/menu was a monopoly property card and the table names were monopoly squares. Every guest had a personal note written by either me or Takie that had our favourite memory of that person.

Did you give your guests favours?

Guests had a treasure trove in which were chance and community chest cards as well as London themed mementos like London underground stationery and sweets.

Describe your flowers (bouquets and table decorations). Who was your florist?

Paula Pryke and The Real Flower company at Selfridges did the flowers, a fixture of pink, green and white blooms.

What did you choose to have on your menu? Did you have an outside caterer or did your venue handle the catering?

The Dorchester gave us the best meal I’ve ever had. We had scallops, pink champagne and rose petal sorbet, fillet of beef, mini summer pudding, creme brulee, chocolate envelope, and lemon sorbet in brandy basket. As well as lots of lovely fruity cocktails and lots of Laurent Perrier.

What did you choose for your wedding cake, and who made it?

Chocolate and fresh summer fruits from Cafe Concerto on High Street Kensington.

Did you have any entertainment during the day or evening?

We had St Paul’s Choir for the wedding ceremony and Sophie Garner and her band for the reception.

Did you have a gift list? If so, who did you have your list with?

People either gave us money towards our honeymoon or bought us presents from our gift list at John Lewis.

Where did you spend your first night and honeymoon? Who did you book your honeymoon with?

We had our first night at The Dorchester and then went to Budapest for our honeymoon.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

Dancing on the ceiling…it’s on youtube…search Amy and Takie’s wedding.

Did you experience any “nightmare” moments in the run up to your wedding or on the day?

No it was perfect. Except two days before I went for a prepaid pedicure to discover the shop had closed down…I still haven’t got my money back.

Is there anything you would do differently, or any advice you would give to other brides?

Enjoy it, it’s the most amazingly joy filled day, the memories of which will get you through anything and everything.